The Star in the Sky
by Lightfellow
Summary: In the AU of the Final Fantasy universe, a struggling actor who had fallen onto hard times met an unassuming singer of a local bar. Eager to erase his past, he offered help to jumpstart her singing career. Little do they know that the road to stardom is paved with debauchery and deceit. [Cloti][Aerseph][Cleris]
1. Chapter 1: Star Struck

_In the Alternate Universe of the Final Fantasy world, a struggling actor who had fallen onto hard times met an unassuming singer of a local bar. Eager to erase his past, he offered help to jumpstart her singing career. Little do they know that the road to stardom is paved with debauchery and deceit._

**PROLOGUE**

In the dark corner of the bar, he watched her quietly, as he seeped on the glass of martini. She was dressed in her favorite color, black. The amber light shone from above her, casting shimmers of silver and gold across her long raven hair. She took the microphone in one hand, leaning her weight onto her left foot, and sang. She had such a lovely voice. He could see people actually stopped talking in the bar, and turned around to look at her.

He had visited this bar on every Thursday, knowing she would be on shift. And it would be the exact same routine. She would appear on the stage exactly at ten-thirty and would sing at least five songs before she took a break for thirty minutes. After which, she would returned back to the stage, and performed a final song for the night. She had always worn black during her performance, and never spoke to anyone else in the club other than her band mates. He did not remember ever seeing her smile. She always looked so grim, and her voice so haunting.

Sometimes, he wondered if she noticed him. There were days she would cast her amber-rose eyes upon that dark corner of the bar where he sat. He thought their eyes met, and he would smile faintly at her. But she never did smile back.

**CHAPTER ONE: STAR STRUCK**

Six months ago, Cloud Strife had a promising future. He was a rising star in GlitterHills, nominated for various awards and even won a best supporting role starring opposite A-lister, Sephiroth. His agent, Barret Wallace, would tell everybody that Cloud was on the way to the A-list. Nobody doubted Barret then. He was so smug about it, even Cloud felt embarrassed.

Now, sitting in a pile of old newspapers and magazines, Barret looked anything but smug.

"You heard anything yet?" Cloud asked as he handed the pudgy forty year-old man a can of beer.

"Vincent called. Said the whole case would have to go on trial again."

Cloud sighed, sinking into his bean bag as he sprawled out his legs dejectedly. He eyed Barret from the corner of his eyes and couldn't help but felt gratitude for the man. Barret had discovered Cloud at age fifteen when he was playing in the school band. Cloud did not have money from where he came from. So his mother was thrilled when Barret introduced himself as Cloud's agent and the "window to GlitterHills", as he put it. Life had never been the same for young Cloud. He had gotten a few TV commercials and some roles as an extra. His big break came when he auditioned for the role of the young Mozart, given his musical talents, and got the part. After that, Cloud was steadily climbing up the Hollywood ladder to fame and glory.

Thinking back now, Cloud wondered where it all went wrong.

Barret pulled him out of his thoughts when the older man suddenly jumped up. "Oh god, look at the time, I gotta go."

"Where are you going?"

His agent scratched his dark curly hair. He looked more unkempt than usual, like he had just woken up on the wrong side of bed. Cloud noticed he had not shaved for days. He looked like a fucking fugitive.

"Yuffie promised she will get back to me on the script. And then, we'll try to get you an audition."

"Oh man."

"Oh man?" Barret glared at him. "That's all you have to say?"

Cloud stood up, sighing softly. "I don't think I'll get an audition. Not with the trial still running."

His agent ignored him as he began to stuff some papers and magazines into his backpack, and headed towards the door. As he turned the knob, he paused for a second, and said, "You should never have fucked that chick."

* * *

All eyes were on him when he entered the room. There were applause, and many kind and congratulating words. He smiled at all the compliments, threw in a few witty comments here and there. Then his eyes settled upon the beautiful brunette seated by the bar. They exchanged a knowing smile as he walked up towards her.

"So how is the best supporting actor doing?"

Cloud looked around the room. They were in the hotel's club house, where the after-party for the movie awards was held. "Very good, and how are you, doll?"

The brunette smiled. She had such striking dark eyes, and she is wearing a white corset top that showed off her cleavage very well. "I'll be good after you agree to do that exclusive."

He took a drink and seeped on it. "Look, Rinoa, Barret…well you know Barret. I can't do an exclusive without your boss talking to him and getting all sorts of approvals. I don't know what the hell all that is about…"

"Then ignore him." Rinoa made a face. "Barret is so…"

"Charming?" Barret finished the sentence as he wrapped his arms around Cloud's neck and pulled him back.

"Ouch, what the fuck?"

"Sorry Rinoa. You have to excuse Cloud. He has to go meet the princess now."

Before Rinoa could protest, Barret had pulled the actor away from the bar and back towards the crowd of journalists and celebrities.

"You better have a good explanation for pulling me out of there." Cloud warned, "She was ready to come home with me."

"Chill, buddy. There are tons of journalists here. It's your best chance for a make out session with the princess and gets headlines all over the place."

Cloud glanced at the direction Barret was pointing, and saw her. The Princess of GlitterHills. The beautiful and untouchable Aeris Gainsborough.

Turning back to his agent, he literally rolled his eyes, "You can't be serious. _The _Aeris Gainsborough would never talk to me. I've never worked with her before. She doesn't even know my name. I mean, she's fucking A-list material..." He mumbled as his sea-blue eyes followed the Princess's every move. How the crowd seemed to move towards her, how the room seemed to quiet down whenever she opened her lips to say something.

"Don't be a fuckin' wimp." Barret smacked the young actor's head playfully. "You've got game, trust me. Besides, you just won Best Supporting. That makes your name known, or at least, she _will_ pretend to know when you walk over and introduce yourself."

"I can't believe this..." Cloud sighed as his agent practically dragged him across the room and towards the starlet herself.

Aeris was saying something to a group of raving journalists when Cloud was nudged into the group, very violently so. The journalists turned around, scowling at him with annoyance, as if he had just interrupted a very important football match.

"I'm sorry." Cloud muttered, his boyish features immediately melting into a charming smile and an apologetic wink. "Some drunk dude just pushed me..." He paused as his gaze settled onto the illustrous actress and his smile widened. "Ah, Miss Gainsborough, what an honor to meet you here."

The journalists were soon won over and began snapping pictures of him. "Oh, Mr Strife, how pleasant to see you. How do you feel about winning Best Supporting Actor opposite Sephiroth?" One of them quipped.

At the mention of Sephiroth, the Princess gave Cloud the once-over and apparently determined him to be worthy enough to speak to, for she smile her dazzling smile at him, "Mr Strife, I hear congratulations are in order." she whispered. Her voice sounded like crystal. Sharp and clear.

Suddenly, Cloud was feeling very confident. Over the din of journalists and celebrities, Cloud and Aeris stood close together for a long time, chatting like they were old friends. The next day, pictures of them were all over the newspaper tabloids.


	2. Chapter 2: After-Party

**CHAPTER TWO: AFTER-PARTY**

_Tap…tap…tap…tap…_

Cloud frowned, taking another seep of his martini before raising his hand and snapping his fingers to get the attention of the waiter. After a moment, the waiter walked over, his expression bored. "What can I do you for, Mr Strife?"

The blond gentleman pointed to the air-conditioner on the ceiling above them. "That old piece of shit is dripping liquid. You really need to get your management to fix it."

The waiter remained sullen. "Would you like a change of table, Mr Strife?"

"Uh…no."

The waiter stared at him blankly. For a moment, they just stared at each other, wordlessly. Finally, Cloud gave up and motioned for him to get lost.

_Tap…tap…tap…tap_

He closed his eyes, trying to meditate. Make that damn noise go away. Suddenly, he heard the bar hushed to a soft whisper, and he opened his eyes quickly to see the lights dimmed. Someone on the far end of the other table whistled.

The curtains drawn and there she was, standing in the middle of it all. The band started playing. He took another seep of his martini. Finally, it was time for him to relax.

* * *

"Objection, your honor! My client had absolutely no idea where those drugs came from."

The courtroom was busy this Monday morning, as journalists camped outside the building perimeter, waiting for the chance to snap the scandalous photographs of the actor's demise, the defense lawyer, Vincent Valentine, was busy trying to prove his client's innocence.

"Mr Valentine, those drugs were found in his possession." The judge muttered, raising an eyebrow.

"I beg to defer, your honor." Vincent replied stoically. "In fact, my client was in the same room, where those drugs were found. It is not found _on_ my client!"

Across the room, the prosecutor cleared his throat and stood up, walking over to the judge and handing him some files. "These files indicate that Mr Strife was tested positive after he was apprehended by the police the same night."

The judge turned to the actor, his eyes boring deeply, "And what do you say to that, Mr Strife?"

Vincent turned, and look at his client, who sighed and stood up, running his hand through his smooth blond hair which had been styled to spikey perfection prior to coming to the trial. "I plead not guilty, your honor."

* * *

Vincent slammed his briefcase on the table as Cloud raised an eyebrow at him. "I really hate that dick." The lawyer muttered, walking over to the corner of his office where a mini bar stood. "Want a drink? Scotch? Whiskey?"

Cloud chuckled as he sank himself down into the couch of his lawyer's run-down office. "Whiskey, thanks. Did you know his father is the district police head inspector?"

"The whole thing stinks of a damn conspiracy to me." Vincent replied, his eyes darkened as he poured two glasses of whiskey and settling them across the table from his client.

Cloud shrugged as he seeped the glass quietly, almost deep in thought. The lawyer broke his daydream when he suddenly asked, "And where the hell were you last night?"

"Huh?" Cloud blinked. "I was…uh…"

"You went to that bar again, didn't you?" Vincent sighed, finishing his glass of whiskey in a gulp and shaking his head. "Cloud, you need to keep your head straight. This is a crucial period of the trial. That prosecutor, Rufus…" his expression twisted into that of disdain, "He's got shit on you. A whole load of shit."

"I was sober in the courtroom this morning, wasn't I?" Cloud retorted, putting down his glass and crossing his arms. He could see his lawyer visibly stressed out. And why wouldn't he? When Barret first hired Vincent Valentine to be his defense lawyer, Cloud never even heard of the guy. Why would Barret hire a nobody to defend his case? Eventually, he began to understand the reason. Vincent Valentine was firstly, a close friend to Barret. The two used to go to the same university. Second, Vincent is practically broke after his recent divorce. _I'm paying this man so that he can drink whiskey in the office._

"So?" Vincent bellowed, once again breaking Cloud's thoughts. "For fuck's sake, those police report has your named stamped guilty all over it."

The actor did not blink nor flinch. He shook his head calmly as if trying to talk to a little child. "And as I've told the entire courtroom, I was unconscious the whole time and when they found me, I believed I could have been forced to ingest the drugs."

"That's not a fucking case. That's nothing at all." Vincent stood up suddenly and started pacing the room back and forth. Cloud watched the older man with growing perplexity. Suddenly, the room erupted into a ringtone by Yuna's _Hushbaby_. Cloud widened his eyes as he watched his lawyer fumbled for the phone in his pressed jacket.

"Hello? Yes…yes I understand…yes he's here with me now." A pause. "Yes, I'll tell him."

When he got off the phone, his client was already up on his feet, walking towards the door. "Who was that?" Cloud asked.

"Your agent." Vincent replied as he flipped his phone shut and stuffed it back into his jacket pocket. "Sephiroth was spotted at the airport this morning when we were in the courthouse."

Cloud closed his eyes for a minute, as if trying to meditate. Finally, he reopened them and met with Vincent's dark eyes. His lawyer looked like he had not slept in days. "Well, guess we're all fucked then."

* * *

A waitress clad in a low v-necked vest in black high-waisted leather shorts, walked past them with a tray of mini test tubes. The tubes were filled with a metallic silver liquid, the likes of which Cloud had never seen before.

"Do you want to try one?" That crystalline voice urged him. He looked up to meet the emerald eyes of Aeris Gainsborough. She had a small smile on her rose lips and Cloud let his eyes wandered boldly down the champagne gold dress she was wearing. The flower embroidery accentuated her waist-line as the tube cutoff lifted her lovely bosoms. She looked indeed, like the Princess of GlitterHills.

"Only if you join me." Cloud teased. This was working perfectly, as Barret had predicted. The group of reporters, who were interviewing them before, had left to pester another new artiste, the young and virginal singer, Yuna. Finally, he was alone with Aeris. He had to play his cards right if he wanted his fame to soar high after this night.

Aeris grinned, motioning for the waitress to come around. She lifted two test-tubes from their holder, delicately swirling the liquid inside as she handed one to Cloud. "To your success, Mr Strife."

Cloud returned the toast. The gentle clink of test-tubes, and then the liquid was gone in a single gulp. Cloud swallowed, trying to keep a straight face for the sake of looking cool in front of Aeris. The truth was, the liquid tasted like shit.

The starlet appeared undaunted, licking her soft lips slowly, as if savoring the taste. "Mhmm…I love this music. Do you like music, Mr Strife?"

Over the din of elite paparazzi and celebrities in the club house of the hotel, Cloud could make out the faint melody of some jazz music in the background.

He nodded quickly. "Oh yes, I love jazz."

Aeris smiled, pleased with his answer. She took his hand suddenly, taking his test-tube and tossing it across the living room. Nobody seemed to notice. "Want to go somewhere quiet?" she asked.

Every bone in his body told him to reject her. She was clearly high on something. But as Aeris pressed her lithe body against him, her fingers swiftly running through his golden hair, her lush lips parting into a tiny inviting pout as she waited for his reply, there was only one thing Cloud could do.

He said yes.


	3. Chapter 3: Lucky Charm

**CHAPTER THREE: LUCKY CHARM**

Barret knocked his fists angrily on the glass window, that for a moment, Cloud thought the glass was going to crack. It had been exactly six hours since the courthouse dismissed them for a break. Exactly six hours since Sephiroth had reportedly arrived back in the city.

"This is all spiraling down to hell." The agent muttered, trying to light a cigarette but in vain of doing so.

"What the fuck, man?" Cloud crossed the room and digged into his pocket, pulling out a lighter. "Nobody uses a matchbox this century."

The older man took the lighter with a pained expression, and finally lit up the cigarette, taking a good long drag. "I fucking hate this country. I hate this city. I hate the rules."

Cloud sighed. They were in the small apartment of his agent. Everything was cluttered and messy. Cloud wondered how a fully grown man could live in pig sty such as this. Then again, he thought to himself, it was all because of him that Barret was in this mess in the first place. Six months ago, they were living it up in ValleyHills with a pool in their backyard and rooftop jaccuzzi.

"I'm sorry." Cloud finally said, lowering his eyes to the floor. The wooden planks were rotting away.

"I put all my money into this shit, kid." Barret replied, taking another drag and sighing. "I don't even know if I can pay rent next month."

Cloud nodded quietly, sitting down at the couch, amidst the pile of magazines and newspapers. Most of them had his face sprawled all over the front page in scandal. Barret strolled over to the young man, taking a seat across him and after a moment of silence between them, he finally spoke, "So, where does Vincent see this trial heading to?"

Cloud closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the couch, sinking deeper into the depths. "Well, he said Rufus's got shit on me. I don't know…"

"Rufus? Who?"

The actor sighed, opening his eyes and shrugging. "Some prosecutor. Young guy, acts all smug too."

Barret rolled his eyes, extinguishing the cigarette on the wooden table top. A dark burnt stain spread slowly across from the tip of the cigarette to the table. "I don't fucking care for some young know-it-all." He growled, flickering his eyes from the table back to Cloud. "Did Vincent say he can win this case?"

"No." Cloud murmured, rubbing his temples. His head had begun to throb. "He didn't say anything."

"Damn it, kid. Did you even ask him?" Barret slammed his fists down onto the table. The act of which caused Cloud to jump in his seat. "You don't even care? It's your ass on the line, kid."

"Look," Cloud retorted, annoyance starting to show in his blue eyes. "That guy has got Yuna in his ringtone." He widened his eyes, his expression that of bewilderment, as if trying to make a point. "Don't you get it, Barret? He's a fucking joke!"

"Goddamnit, kid." Barret stood up, pacing back to the window. "You don't have a choice. You don't have the luxury of choice."

Cloud watched his agent walked away but said nothing. The atmosphere between them had been so stressed and tensed lately. He could not remember the last time the both of them even had a good laugh.

For a long time, none of them spoke. The dull vibrations of the overhead ceiling fans were the only sound resonating in the small room. Finally, Barret broke the silence as he turned around, facing his client. He still dressed like a star, with his suit well-pressed and his hair perfectly combed and styled. Barret thought it was ironic. He was anything but a star right now.

"Cloud." Barret started. The young actor looked up at him from where he was still seated. Barret continued, "Sephiroth is going to testify against you. Once he does that, it's all over."

"But he is a fucking liar!"

Barret sighed, his gaze drifted back towards the window. "Well, it _is_ Sephiroth we're talking about. The whole world is going to believe him."

Cloud swallowed, his shoulders slumped down in defeat. He knew Barret was right.

* * *

Aeris's laughter could be heard somewhere in the maze, but Cloud could not pin-point its exact direction. They had left the party in the club house and had taken an elevator down to the hotel lobby. Thereafter, Aeris had practically dragged him out to the huge garden at the back of the hotel. The garden was designed like a maze, with tall shrubs leading in all directions. The starlet was drunk and giggling and insisted that Cloud find her while she hid somewhere in the garden maze.

Bad idea.

"Aeris! Aeris!" Cloud called out, perplexed. He was starting to feel really hot. He had a couple of drinks earlier in the party. He was not in his best state of mind. "Come on, let's stop hiding and go find somewhere to sit down."

"You'll have to find me first!"

Cloud sighed. Pushing past the vines and tree shrubs, he began to search for the Princess. Fortunately, the garden maze was well-lit and Cloud was beginning to follow the trail of rose that Aeris had deliberately plucked from around the garden and scattered on the floor.

Finally, he found her. She had led him all the way to the center of the maze, where a plaque and a statue proudly stood. Cloud read the plaque: _Hotel Valley of Stars, generously donated by Sephiroth_

"Wow, he's rich." He muttered, his fingers lightly smoothing over the plaque that was tinted in gold and silver.

Aeris peered from behind him, "Who?"

"Sephiroth." Cloud pointed to the plaque. "Apparently, he donated enough for them to build this hotel."

The starlet behind him burst into giggles. Cloud spun around and caught her wrists. "Okay, no more playing around. I think you've had too much to drink and you need to go back to your hotel room and sleep it off."

Aeris did not fight him off. Instead, she did the unthinkable. She tiptoed and leaned into Cloud, her lips pressing down hard against his. Cloud was taken by surprise. She tasted like strawberries. It was nice.

"Aeris…" He muttered, finally pulling away and breaking the kiss. "You're drunk…"

"I'm not drunk!" She pouted and pointed angrily at the statue behind them. "I hate him."

"Huh?" Cloud glanced behind him. But he would not get an answer from the actress because suddenly, she collapsed lifelessly into his arms.

* * *

"Same table, Mr Strife?" The waiter asked, as he led him to his usual seat.

"Thank you." Cloud replied. "Martini, please." The waiter nodded and left. Cloud rolled out a cigarette and stuck it into his mouth, reaching into his pocket, looking for the lighter.

_Damn, left it at Barret's…_

"Need a light?" a soft voice whispered from behind him.

He turned around and his jaws must have dropped because his cigarette fell off and hit the floor. The woman standing before him was dressed in her usual black garb. Her ashen hair, while usually bundled up into a tight ponytail, was now flowing loosely down all the way to her waist. In her hand, she held out silver lighter. It glinted under the amber lights of the bar.

He took it gratefully, and started to look for his cigarette. "Where did I…?"

She chuckled. Her laughter sounded melodic to his ears. "You dropped it on the floor."

He shook his head and smile sheepishly up at her. "Right, that was actually my last one, so." He handed the lighter back to her. "Thanks anyway."

She nodded but did not take it. "I don't smoke. Not anymore."

He raised an eyebrow at her. She looked so beautiful close-up, he could not help but stare at those full red lips. Her rose-colored irises that danced under the warm lights. "And yet you carry a lighter with you around." He teased.

The singer shrugged. Her expression remained blank. "It's my good luck charm." She paused as she looked down at him. For a moment, their eyes held each other and the room seemed to have gone silent. "But you need it more than I do, Cloud."

_She knows my name…oh wait, of course she knows my name. My face is plastered all over the morning news headlines._

"Well, thank you very much, miss…?" Cloud murmured, hoping she would give away her name. But the singer just waved casually and walked away from him. He watched her as she strolled to the bar, talking to the bartender and laughing a little, then she disappeared by the exit.

Cloud immediately fished for some loose notes and coins in his jeans, scattering them across the table clumsily as he rushed towards the exit. When he opened the door, he was greeted with the usual sight. Drunkards by the trash, a few teenagers smoking and giggling among themselves, and an empty street.

He had lost her.


	4. Chapter 4: The Secret

_Hi guys, just wanted to say thank you for the reviews. I wrote this chapter really fast, because I had all these ideas in my head. Sorry if there were lots of spelling/grammatical errors. I don't have a beta-reader - Lightfellow_

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: THE SECRET**

He pressed the side switch. _Click. _A small flame bursts into life. It flickered for a few seconds, and then died. He pressed the switch again. _Click. Click. Click. _

"Stop playing with that toy." Vincent murmured, his head buried in a sea of papers. Cloud looked up at his lawyer, shrugged and twirled the silver lighter between his fingers.

"It's not a toy." He replied wistfully, studying the object carefully. The lighter was engraved with the insignia of a wolf. There was the initial _T.L_ carved across the side. "It's my good luck charm."

The lawyer raised his head from the piles of documents he was reading and cast Cloud a wry look. They were in his office this afternoon, going over the case again. Now that Sephiroth had confirmed he was going to testify in the case, it was imperative that they came up with some plan to anticipate the questions that the prosecutor would throw their way. "We need more than luck to win this case."

Cloud sighed again, resting his head on his palm as he stuffed the lighter into his pocket. Eyeing Vincent from across the study table, he muttered, "So, do you think we can win this case?"

The lawyer lowered his gaze, running his fingers through his dark black hair. For a minute, Cloud thought he looked depressed. "Honestly, Cloud, the odds are not in our favor."

The actor nodded and straightened up. "Okay, what did you want to know?"

Vincent took out a pen and paper. His eyes darkened as a thin frown creased his forehead. "Everything that happened that night, Cloud. Leave no details."

* * *

"Excuse me? I need someone to contact Miss Gainsborough's agent. She's…"

The receptionist behind the counter did not look the slightest bit alarm. "Sir, Miss Gainsborough had strictly ordered that her staff leave the premises after the Awards Show. I can't get you their contacts."

Cloud widened his eyes in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" He was still carrying Aeris in his arms, and she was out cold. "Look at her. I need either her agent on the line right now, or an ambulance."

The receptionist frowned, walked over from behind the counter and pressed two fingers against the starlet's neck. "She has a pulse, sir."

"I know she has a fucking pulse!"

The receptionist lifted an eyebrow at Cloud, looking at him as if he was the one acting retarded. Cloud was getting frustrated. He was getting nowhere with this receptionist.

"Sir, if I might suggest something," The receptionist started. "You can send Miss Gainsborough up to her room and I will contact her family."

"Good!" Cloud retorted, rolling his eyes. "At least we're getting somewhere."

The receptionist proceeded to explain to Cloud that Aeris's room was at the top floor of the hotel in the penthouse suite. Naturally, he was not supposed to access her room, but in view of the current situation, the receptionist needed Cloud to sign on a piece of paper that stated the time of entry to Miss Gainsborough's suite, leaving his contact details and driving license number.

"It's all protocol, you understand, sir." The receptionist nodded with a thin smile, casting a look at the actress. "She's probably had too much to drink. I'll have housekeeping send up some ice and water later."

When Cloud entered the penthouse suite, he thought he had entered into some royalty's chamber. The full-glass windows revealed a spectacular view of GlitterHills. There was a gorgeous living room set, a bar at the corner, separate rooms for a personal gym, salon and massage. Cloud carried Aeris into her bedroom. She was already starting to stir a bit. He sighed, looking around the bed chamber. It was grand enough for a princess. He thought about the ironic of it all. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cellphone and dialed Barret's number.

"You wouldn't be able to guess where I am right now." Cloud said, smiling to himself.

"Where the fuck are you?" The hoarse voice on the other line inquired. Cloud could hear the faint sounds of music. Barret must still be at the party in the club house.

"I'm in Aeris Gainsborough's bedroom."

"For fuck's sake, and you're on the phone with me? Give me some time, I'll run the word to the press that…"

"No, wait!" Cloud interrupted quickly. His agent was always jumping the gun, trying to get media into all corners of his life. He called it publicity, but Cloud sometimes felt his methods were dirty. "It's not what you think, Barret." His eyes trailed to the motionless form of the actress. She looked pale and doll-like. Cloud was worried. "She's just out cold from drinking too much."

"What?" Barret's voice droned on. "And you're playing nurse? Seriously, Cloud, we didn't get this far for you to be _inside_ the Princess's room and not have the press write something about it."

"But there is nothing to write about!" Cloud paced the room exasperatedly. "We didn't even kiss." He paused, "Okay, well, we did but it was just…"

"Good god, kid." Barret sounded agitated. "You were supposed to kiss her in the party. In that room full of media press!" There was a ruffling sound on the other line, as if the agent was digging through some papers. "Look, kid. Just stay where you are. Stay with the Princess. Make sure she drinks plenty of water. I'll call you back later or something." And the line went dead.

* * *

The bedsheets rose as the actress struggled to sit up. Cloud hurried to her side, helping her up and setting a pillow for her back. "Hey, you just blacked out earlier." He said softly, watching her carefully for any signs of trauma. "I carried you back to the hotel. This is your bedroom."

Aeris nodded. Her face remained pale and her green eyes flickered to the drawers by the balcony. "Can you…can you get me something?"

"Absolutely." He replied gently, "What do you need, Aeris?"

She pointed to the drawers. "Just get me my things there."

_Things?_ Cloud did not ask further as the actress was starting to look annoyed. He quickly walked over to the cabinet, pulled out the drawers and peered inside for Aeris's _things_. But all he saw was several syringes. All of which has a strange-colored liquid inside.

He took out one of the syringes, turning around back to the actress. "Is this it?"

Her eyes seemed to brighten and she smiled, as if her mood had suddenly shifted to that of a cheerful one. "Cloud, thank you! You've been a great help tonight." She lowered her gaze to the bed, looking almost apologetic. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

"It's no problem at all." He said as he strolled over to her, handing her the syringe. She must have been able to tell the way he was looking at the strangely colored liquid inside that she placed a reassuring hand over his.

"It's my medication, Cloud." She whispered, "That purple liquid you see in there?" she pointed with a small smile, "That's compressed iron." When she saw the actor looking confused, she giggled and shrugged. "I'm anemic."

Cloud sat down beside her on the bed, putting the syringe on the dress table beside them. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

She shook her head. "Nobody knows. It's my little secret, you see." She winked. "Don't tell anybody, Cloud."

For a moment, Cloud felt sorry for the actress. Being Anemic must have meant she had to go for constant diet supplements, blood transfusion, or if the case was serious, maybe even surgery. He could not believe that the beautiful, flawless Princess of GlitterHills could be hiding such a grave secret from the world, behind her dazzling smiles and all the awards that she had won, Cloud could not help but felt that she must have been alone in all of these.

Just then, he heard a door opened and closed somewhere in the main room. He looked at her oddly. "Is there someone else…?"

She shook her head, her face pale.

Before he could get up and investigate, the sliding doors to the bed chambers opened. The two actors looked up to see the looming figure of GlitterHills' most recognized and established star, Sephiroth.

If there ever was a celebrity that was rumored to be more powerful than the city's mayor, Sephiroth had exceeded beyond that. His influence extended beyond GlitterHills and to the rest of ValleyHills City as well. Upper ValleyHills was the home to stars and starlets, but Sephiroth owned the land. His face was in almost every billboard that lined the glamorous streets of GlitterHills. Even in Lower ValleyHills, where the average citizen resided in, one cannot walk past a park or a statue without seeing Sephiroth's imprint on it. He basically donated more than half of the city's amenities. Hospitals, schools, churches, you name it. Behind every plaque, every statue, there was bound to be a moving story that related Sephiroth's kind generosity to the public.

Right now, the city's most powerful man was staring down at Cloud with widened eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. His voice was low but dignified. Cloud briefly wondered if the illustrious man remembered his co-star.

"Seph." Aeris extended her hands, smiling sweetly. The star walked over and gave her a heartfelt hug. "When did you arrive?"

"Just a moment ago." He replied softly, brushing away strands of her light brown hair from her face, and returning the smile with equal warmth. "We landed on the helipad and I came here right away." He digged into his coat pockets and pulled out a small box wrapped in white and gold ribbons. "Congratulations on your triple wins tonight."

Cloud suddenly felt like he was intruding. He cleared his throat. "Uh, Mr Sephiroth. I'm…"

"You're Cloud." The silver-haired man released Aeris and turned around to face him. "I remember you. We've worked together."

Cloud nodded. He did not understand why his heart was pulsating in such a quick manner. He realized shortly, that he was just very nervous in the presence of Sephiroth. "Well, I should go…" he muttered, turning to look at Aeris and back at the legendary star. "It's getting late and…"

"Why the rush?" Sephiroth cut in with his low, emotionless voice. His expression was blank but he gestured to Aeris. "I must thank you for taking care of my little sister."

"Sister?" The expression on Cloud's face must have been that of bewilderment because Aeris on her sickbed, bursts into soft giggles. Cloud met her eyes and raised an eyebrow, as if trying to question the reality of it all. She simply put a finger on her lips, and winked.

Sephiroth already had one hand across Cloud's shoulders and was leading him out of the bed chamber. "Come here, the little one needs rest." He led the younger actor to the bar where he started to prepare a glass of whiskey. "I gathered you and Aeris had a bit of fun tonight." He muttered, his eyes on the bottle as he scooped some ice from the bucket.

Cloud tried to laugh to ease off the tension. Sephiroth just stared at him expectedly, and did not break into a smile. "Well," he scratched his head in a sheepish grin. "We probably had too much to drink, yeah." He quickly looked away from Sephiroth's intense stare, and nervously pointed out that the living room was beautifully furnished.

The older man nodded, following Cloud's gaze across the huge room. "Aeris wanted pink and lilac, so we had the staff re-decorate the curtains, the couches, the floor mats..." He paused and lightly tapped the glass of whiskey. "Even the drinking glasses are tinted."

Cloud took the glass and seeped it slowly. "So, I didn't know you and Aeris are…"

"Related?" Sephiroth finished, watching Cloud carefully. "No, we're not really siblings." He had poured himself a glass as well, and was drinking its contents slowly. "But everyone knows I _found _her." He said, offering a rare smile. "Groom her and supported her in all her works."

Cloud nodded. "Your work to the entire city has been spectacular, Mr Sephiroth, I am a huge fan…"

"Please." Sephiroth whispered, raising a hand to stop Cloud mid-speech. "Call me Sephiroth. You don't have to be formal with me. Any friend of Aeris's is a friend of mine."

* * *

Vincent Valentine watched his client closely, scribbling notes and making connections. But this was where the story dissected. Cloud could not remember what happened afterwards. He concluded that he had a couple of drinks with Sephiroth, and probably passed out in the living room.

"But when the police came, you were in the toilet." Vincent noted, his eyes scanning the police reports that he had made copies of.

"I could have…" Cloud shrugged, "I really don't remember what happened. I drank a couple of whiskeys…"

"Then what happened with Sephiroth?" Vincent probed.

Cloud scratched his head. "I don't know…maybe he left?"

"He couldn't have left you alone in Aeris's hotel room!" Vincent frowned. "And the drugs in your body. You were tested positive."

"I know…" Cloud sighed. "You think they planted the drugs on me? But that's Sephiroth and Aeris we are talking about…There's just no reasons for them to even…"

"They are now testifying against you, Cloud." Vincent muttered, his expression grave and serious. "Now," he flipped a couple of newspapers and files. "It says here that the press arrived first. They found Aeris sleeping in the bedroom and you in the toilet. They called the police…" he flipped a couple of pages, his entire study table was now cluttered with papers. "Not one mention of Sephiroth…"

Cloud looked across the table boredly. "So…? Maybe he left the room."

"Why would he do that?" Vincent insisted, frowning. "I'm telling you, we're missing some sort of puzzle that is linking everything up."

"And why would he stay in the room with me puking in the toilet and Aeris sleeping in the bedroom?" Cloud rolled his eyes, "Your entire conspiracy theory just doesn't make sense!"

"Well, then where is his alibi?" Vincent stared at the young actor squarely. "Who can vouch that he was somewhere else when the press and police raided the room?"

Cloud looked at his lawyer as if that was the stupidest remark he had ever heard in his life. He briefly wondered why Barret decided to hire this man as his lawyer. Finally, he leaned forward in the table, staring straight into the eyes of his lawyer. "He's Sephiroth. He don't fucking _need_ an alibi."

* * *

_Already the fourth chapter and I hope you like it. Please review if you do! Thanks! :))_


	5. Chapter 5: Trial

**CHAPTER FIVE: TRIAL**

The murmuring in the courtroom came to an abrupt silence when the prosecutor introduced their next witness. Sephiroth walked into the witness stand, his wintery eyes unblinking and his expression devoid of any emotion.

"Mr Sephiroth, do you remember seeing the defe ndant in the hotel suite of Miss Gainsborough at approximately two in the morning?"

The silver-haired man nodded, but remained quiet. Rufus continued, "Can you describe clearly what the defendant was doing in Miss Gainsborough's suite?"

Sephiroth paused for a second, as if to recall his memory of what happened that night. When he opened his mouth to speak, the entire courtroom seemed to hold their breath in silence. "He was sitting on Aeris's bed."

"What was he doing on her bed?" Rufus probed.

"They were talking."

"Did you hear what they were talking about?"

Another pause from the star. Then he answered, "No, I couldn't hear as the room was closed."

Rufus nodded thoughtfully, as he began to pace slowly in front of the jury. "So, we know that the defendant was in close proximity with Miss Gainsborough. We know she was also rather intoxicated during that period of time. We have a witness from the hotel reception that confirmed the defendant carried Miss Gainsborough to her room at approximately half past mid-night."

The jury nodded among themselves, their attention fully captivated by the prosecutor. Rufus smiled charmingly before continuing, strolling back to his witness. "Mr Sephiroth, what happened after you found the defendant in Miss Gainsborough's room?"

Sephiroth lowered his gaze. Again, he seemed to be thinking. There was a moment of silence between the witness and the prosecutor, before the actor looked up again, his icy stare flickered to where Cloud was sitting. "We left the room because Aeris was tired." Sephiroth replied, his voice crystal clear and seemed to echo off the walls of the courtroom. "We had a conversation at the living room."

"Did you know that during that time, the defendant had ingested the drugs?" the prosecutor asked casually.

"Objection!" Vincent interrupted, standing up briskly and almost knocking Cloud beside him in the process. "The prosecutor had no evidence of…"

"Police reports show that the defendant was tested positive for Aikira." Rufus debated, sending a cold stare towards Vincent. "Aikira," He lowered his voice as if about to divulge a secret, "as everyone is well aware of, is illegal in this country. It can cause anxiety, heightened heart rate and blood pressure, depression and even death, if over-dosed."

The judge nodded. "Objection overruled. Prosecutor, please continue with the witness."

Vincent grunted, annoyed before sitting down.

Rufus shrugged and turned back towards his witness. "Please answer the question, Mr Sephiroth."

Sephiroth shook his head. "I am not aware he was drugged during the time."

"Did the defendant do or say anything out of the ordinary to you?"

The celebrity turned away from the prosecutor and looked across the room, directly at Cloud. For a moment, their eyes met and held each other. "He seemed nervous at that time." Sephiroth worded his sentence carefully. "And he said he had a couple of drinks with Aeris earlier."

Rufus nodded again, sliding his hands into the pockets of his well-pressed suit. He leaned a little closer towards Sephiroth, "Tell me, Mr Sephiroth, do you think…" he paused, as he turned to the jury for a moment, making sure he had their attention before his eyes flickered back to his witness. "Do you _believe _for a moment, that Mr Cloud Strife," It was the first time Rufus had addressed the defendant by his name. The entire courtroom seemed to lean forward in anticipation. "…that he drugged Aeris too?"

The star of all GlitterHills lowered his head, silver strands of hair fall across his sharp features. The droning of the ceiling fan seemed to grow louder as everyone in the courtroom was silent. Cloud leaned forward in his chair, his palms sweaty as Sephiroth looked up from his witness stand and towards the jury. He opened his mouth to speak and for that moment, it felt like the walls of justice crashed down upon everything Cloud knew.

"Yes, I believe he drugged Aeris too."

* * *

"I don't fucking believe it." Barret slammed down the phone angrily before looking back up at the two men standing before him.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked, pulling out a chair and slumping into it. Beside him, Vincent quickly grabbed a chair and sat, his expression grim.

"The press is going to blow this whole story up." Barret growled, narrowing his eyes. "And the trial's not even over yet."

Cloud shrugged, pulling out a lighter from his pocket and began clicking on it, playing with the faint blue flame that seemed to flicker for a moment before losing its life. "Sephiroth's made his statement today. I'm pretty sure I'm done for."

"It's not over yet, kid." Barret turned to Vincent, "Right? Tell me we still got something!"

Vincent shifted uneasily in his chair. "They're going with the story of Cloud drugging Aeris in her bedroom, before he ingested the drugs and went out cold in the bathroom."

"Bullshit. Fucking bullshit story." Barret sighed, lowering his head with his hands across his face. "We need evidence…we need…"

"Hey guys." Cloud muttered, "I'm sorry I got us into this mess but…"he sighed, "I'm getting tired of all these trials and media and having my face plastered all over the morning newspapers every day." He shook his head. "I…I just want this to end. Now."

Barret looked up in disbelief. His eyes flared with rage as he stood up abruptly, towering over the young actor. "How the hell do you think this is going to end, kid?" He bellowed. "The Princess is still in the hospital from over-dosage of Aikira. They are accusing you of drugging her. If the jury gives you the guilty verdict, we're looking at you sitting in a cell for…"

"A long time." Vincent nodded, finishing off Barret's sentence. "But, they don't have conclusive evidence that you injected Aeris with Aikira. They've only found the drug in your blood, Cloud. But no evidence of you ever drugging Aeris with it."

Cloud closed his eyes briefly, feeling all energy draining out of his body. His head felt heavy and his shoulders ached. He did not remember the last time he had slept well. The trials were putting a strain on his health and mental state. He knew that, because he was starting to feel like a walking zombie.

"In other words," Cloud continued, "They can never charge me fully with the crime of drugging Aeris, but they can only charge me for using an illegal drug?"

"For the time being, yes." Vincent said, his gaze switching back and forth from Barret to Cloud. "And with the way things are going, Aeris is still in the hospital and they can't get a statement from her yet, so I'm thinking this trial can go on for a long time."

Barret rolled his eyes, "So for this period of time, we're not going to get any work, kid. No one in GlitterHills is going to hire you for any projects."

Cloud paused for a moment, before apologizing. "I'm sorry."

His agent seemed to soften, as his expression reduced to that of empathy. "Hey kid, I'm not trying to be hard on you. It's just…I need to pay rent and…"

"I understand." Cloud murmured. "You're going to work on other actors for now, yes."

"I'm still not giving up on you, kid." Barret turned back to their lawyer. "Make sure you keep us all up to date with the current proceedings at the court."

Vincent nodded, standing up and picking up his briefcase. "Absolutely. Right now, the trial is only on hold until we can get a proper statement from Aeris. We don't know how long it will take but for the meantime," he turned to his defendant and patted his shoulders. "Just stay low. I'll be in touch with you when I get word back from the judge on the case."

Cloud nodded and waved carelessly as his lawyer said his farewell and left Barret's office. The actor flashed a weak smile at his agent. "So I guess, I won't see you around for a while, huh?"

Barret pulled out something from his pocket and slide it across the table to Cloud. The actor saw that it was a packet of cigarettes. He smiled, touched by his agent of ten years. For the next hour, they smoked and laughed and chatted over idle gossips. Cloud knew this would be the last time he would see his agent for a while.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! Please leave a review on your way out :) - Lightfellow_


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